


Disguises ~A Jiper AU~

by Starlight_88



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-15 12:21:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9234758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlight_88/pseuds/Starlight_88
Summary: Piper McLean's father is a famous movie star. He's away most the time so they don't spend as much time as they'd like with one another.This year, her father is home the week of the spring time celebrations and for the first time Piper is going to the spring festival.Jason Grace is the Sky Kingdom's only prince. Him and his older sister, Thalia, have a lot of responsibilities being the only kids to King Zeus. One of those responsibilities being that they must be present during the spring festival.As both kids are trying to get away from all the camera's, they stumble into one another.And that is where the story begins.





	1. Chapter 2

It was a week from the spring festival and Jason was dreading. He and his sister were required to go since they were children of the king, but that didn't mean they'd have to enjoy it. In Jason's eyes, it was just so that negations could be made with other countries, interviews could be made with the paparazzi, and crazed fan girls to follow him around like a lost puppy ask for selfies. Thalia, on the other hand, at least acted like she was interested in public while Jason didn't.

At the moment, Jason was watching the news in his room. His friend, Reyna, had left an hour or so ago. She lived across town and would often visit, though this would be the last time for the next month. She had to deal with some family stuff with her sister Hylla.

Reyna had taken a bunch of pictures on his phone, giving him enough things to delete while he waited for the important things on the news to come on. Something he didn't count as "important" was the rumor of him dating Reyna.

"Are you kidding?" he asked himself. "This crap made it on the news?" He picked up the remote and changed it. Just as he did, he heard someone running down the hall and toward his room. With a loud sigh, Jason threw his head back.

"Are you dating Reyna?" Thalia asked, entering the room with knocking.

"No! Why does everyone think that?"

"Well, you two always hang out around each other, and the only other friends you have are our relatives."

"Not true," he defended. "I have..." he trailed off, trying to think of someone that wasn't related to him.

"Exactly."

"And what about you? Bianca's your best friend."

"Yes, but I have other friends. Do you want the list?" she smirked, knowing she had won the argument. Jason glared with a huff. With a little hair flip, Thalia left the room. She was shutting the white door when she popped her head back in. "Oh, and dad needs you in his office after breakfast tomorrow."

Jason sighed as she shut the door on her way out. He already had an idea of what his father was going to bring up. And he wasn't looking forward to it.

The channel he had randomly put on was playing Superman Returns, one of his favorite movies. It had just started, meaning he could enjoy the rest of the night without being disturbed. Hopefully, anyway.

The movie ended around ten at night and Jason decided that he should head to bed. It wasn't late for him, but, since he had to deal with his dad in the morning, he wanted a full night's sleep. He turned off the light, casting a shadow over the cloudy blue walls. His feet tickled the fluffy matching carpet as he made his way to his king sized bed.

After pulling back the sky blue blanket, he curled up under the sheets, resting his head on the fluffy white pillows. It took no time at all for him to relax and fall into a peaceful sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

It was the first day of spring. Every year on this day, the kindhearted of the kingdom held a festival in celebration of the season. People from all around the kingdom would gather in the capitol for the happy get together of dancing, singing, and all sorts of activities.

This year was like any other year, except this year a young woman by the name of Piper Mclean would be attending for the first time.

Her father Tristan Mclean was a famous actor that nearly everyone on the continent knew of and fawned over. Her family was small, but they were happy and could afford most things others couldn't. Tristan would often spoil his daughter, but she didn't act spoiled. Though, because Piper's dad was an actor, he was often away on set, leaving her alone. That's why she never went to the kingdom's spring festival. But this year was different. Her father would be home this year and he had already made plans to go.

Piper learned the news a week ago when her father arrived home. He had just finished filming a new movie, " The Life of Octavius", and had two weeks off before he went to go shoot a few more scenes for a different movie. Needless to say, Piper was ecstatic about the news. She got to attend the festival and her dad would be there with her. She couldn't ask for anything better in life.

The day after she got the news, Piper called her best friend Leo Valdez. To come shopping with her. She needed a new dress and Leo needed a nice outfit to wear. Almost all his clothes were stained with grease and oil, as well any other mess mechanics make. Leo Valdez, a small elfish spanish boy with crude and sometimes annoying humor; Leo was also very flirtatious, but to Piper, he was a protective brother. When Piper picked him up, he, being the boy he is, checked out the car. It was a MBW.

"Awe, Pipes, I might just steal this thing one day," he warned when Piper finally convinced him to get into the vehicle.

Piper rolled her eyes. He said that every time he saw her or her dad's car. "Alright, so I was thinking of getting you a nice white shirt-- Oh, wait no! A cream colored one? Yes, that'd look nice on you."

Leo rolled his eyes, though Piper already knew the famous " Valdez eye roll" was coming. She acted as though she didn't see it. She rambled on for a few more minutes about what Leo should wear and buy before Leo asked her what she was buying for herself.

Her eyebrows frowned when she thought about it. She had been so excited about going to the festival and seeing her dad that she hadn't thought about her appearance too much.

"I don't know," she thought out loud. Leo let out an exasperated sigh, throwing his hands up in the air. Piper whacked his arm. "Don't blame me; there's been a lot going on."

"Well, do you have any ideas?" he asked.

She paused. "A dress. A pretty one that isn't too fancy though-" Leo gave her the " No Shit Sherlock" look but she ignored it and continued. "-I didn't want to attract more attention than needed. And, if my dad does stick to his word, we won't want any extra attention."

Her dad would often make plans with her and then cancel at the last minute. It hurt her, but she knew her father was busy with his job; she just wished he were around more often.

Then there's the few times when their plans did happen, and they'd have to cancel or end them sooner than expected because of the paparazzi and crazed fans. Somehow, one of the two always figured out where they'd be going for the day. When that happened, which was nearly every time; they'd go home and watch movies for the day. Piper loved those days and waited for them to come.

They pulled up into the mall parking lot. Piper parked the car in a spot relatively close to the entrance, reaching into the back seat for her hat, scarf, and purse. She already had sunglasses on. Leo waited patiently as she checked her reflection in the mirror before they both exited the car and locked it behind them. On the way into the mall, they both noticed a magazine with her father on it. Piper pulled the hat lower over her face.

"No one's going to recognize you right away," Leo whispered.

"You'd be surprised," she mumbled. Leo heard, thinking back on the stories his friend had told him There was one time where she had walked into Starbucks and was recognized within two minutes. Before she could even get her coffee, half the people in the building her asking for pictures, autographs, and asking about her father's work.

Without another word, they slipped into a random store, and like always, went to the men's section for Leo first. It took about an hour to find an outfit for the small boy, which was nearly half the time Piper would spend.

Piper went to find the shirt she had in mind for him while Leo went to search for a pair of pants. They met back up fifteen minutes later in front of the dressing room. Piper pushed Leo into one of the changing rooms, waiting for him to put on the first outfit. Luckily for him, Piper was satisfied with the third outfit and decided all it needed to top it off was a jacket. She allowed him to pick it out as long as it matched. Leo settled for a simple leather jacket. It took a few minutes to negotiate, but Piper eventually agreed.

They then headed over to the women's section for Piper's dress. She looked through each rack, trying to find her size and color, but wasn't having much luck. Leo was helping, despite the odd looks he was getting.

"Anything you're looking for in particular?"

Piper sighed, slightly defeated. She stepped away and found a place to sit down. "I don't know. I mean, I have dresses at home, but they're all... stand out. I just need a simple one that looks nice, but makes me blend in."

"Alright," Leo mumbled under his breath, scribbling it down in his note pad. Piper had just now noticed it and wondered where it had come from.

"Where'd you--"

"Don't worry 'bout it," he cut off. "Now, what color and size?"

"Uh, blue, I guess, and medium. Why?"

"Stay here."

And then he got up and left. Piper did, as she was told and waiting, thought running through her mind. What was that Repair Boy up to?

Leo returned ten minutes later holding a dress. It was a dark shade of blue, strapless, and simple. Piper's mouth fell open and she checked the size. It was exactly what she had been looking for.

"Leo... how? Where?"

"I have my ways," Leo said, a smile on his face. "Now, go try it on."

Piper took the dress into the dressing room and tried it on. She admired it in the mirror. After examining it from every possible angle, she did a little twirl, a smile bright on her face. Leo called her out, wanting a peak of the beautiful girl in her new dress.

Piper stepped out, happy as ever. She was in love with the dress.

"You look nice," Leo complemented.

"Thank you," she thanked. Leo held out his hand.

Piper took it, earning a little twirl from the boy. They both laughed before she went to go change back. Once they had everything, they went to pay and grab something to eat at the food court.

Leo watched as Piper put her hat back on before they exited the store and back into the mall. He wished at they could just go out like any other kid could. Well, he knew he could, but was happy to put up with it if it meant Pipes could be happy.

They bought pretzels before heading out into the parking lot. On the way to the car, they passed a group of paparazzi. Piper tensed up a bit, but tried to remain calm. If she looked natural, they wouldn't pay any attention to her, right?

No. Wrong.

One member of the group cam toward her and Leo. Piper looked down at her phone in hopes that they wouldn't see her face. Even though she was wearing sunglasses, a scarf, and a hat, she knew her disguise wouldn't last long.

"Hey you two!" the man shouted, jogging toward them. He stopped in front of them, catching his breath. "We heard from an anonymous source that Tristan McLean's daughter was here at this mall. Have you seen her?"

Leo did the talking for her. "Sorry, senor. Haven't seen that lady at all today." Then he looked around as if checking to make sure no one would hear then leaned over. "Though, if I were you, I'd check Macey's."

The man's eyes widened and he called over to his buddies. They thanked Leo before running into the mall and to the store Leo had picked. Macey's was at the other end of the mall, giving them enough time to get away.

"Thank you," Piper breathed once the group was out of sight. "That could have been a disaster."

"No need to thank me... though that'll be ten dollars," he joked. " Come on; let's just get out of here." He put an arm around her shoulder, protecting her from anyone else who might recognize her.

They successfully made it back to the car without getting caught. Piper, not realizing how she had been holding her breath, let out a sigh of relief. Leo was used to this, knowing that she feared the publicity that she would have gotten, had he not interfered.

She started the car, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road. Leo turned on the radio, blaring 'Sucker For Pain'. Both of them sang along and off key like most would, both started nearly screaming their voices raw during Imagine Dragons' corus. It took thirty minutes to get back to Piper's place, but it was worth it. Leo normally spent most his time there when he wasn't at work, so he was already used to the place. Heck, he was there so often, he was considered a son to Tristan.

After parking the car into the garage, they grabbed their bags and went inside. Leo was complaining he was hungry even though they just ate. Piper rolled her eyes, used to this comment.

"You can make tacos then, kay?" Piper told him.

"Kay."

They opened the door that lead into the living room. Tristan was sitting on the couch, watching something on the flat screen TV. He muted it when the two walked in.

"So, how was shopping?"

"Okay," Leo replied. "Beauty Queen over here had some hard time picking out a dress, so I did it for her."

"Oh," Tristan said, smiling. "May I see my lovely daughter in this dress?"

Piper smiled back, deciding that he'd have to wait. Leo tried to convince her to let her dad see, but she refused every time. In the end, he gave up and went to make tacos. Piper went to her room and hid the dress in her closet.

Her room was somewhat fancy and not as girly as most. The walls were painted pale pink with pictures of her and her dad and Black Vinyl roses on the wall. A few of the pictures of her and her dad even had Leo in them. A few other things hung up against the wall, like old movie posters her dad would bring back from set. And various bands like, Imagine Dragons, Fallout Boy, and artists like Adele or Pink. Also, a photo of a young looking Tristan with his arm over her mother's shoulders. They are standing in front of an old 68' black impala. This is the only photo she has over mother. Though whenever she looks at it. She smells faint perfume , Chanel # 5, and the picture changes slightly, like the color of her mother's eyes or the tint of her hair. Yet every time, she brushes it off as imagination. Though it is strange, Piper doesn't even own Chanel.

Her bed was up against the middle of the wall. The sheets were a light pink and sky blue color with white pillows. There was also a dove plushie resting against the smaller pillow on her bed. At the foot of her bed was a little chest with more blankets, pillows, and plushies. Beside her bed, a small rug laid with a pair of bunny slippers on top.

Near the window on the far side of the room was a vanity with make up, hair products and all other sorts of stuff. She didn't use any of it, but her father insisted she have it for movie premieres and such. Other things littering the top were loose change and old candy wrappers.

Beside the vanity was a door that led to her own bathroom. Around the tops of her walls, Christmas lights were pinned making her room lit up with a white glow.

The closet was to the door. She slide open the door and entered her walk in closet. Shoes lined the walls, dresses and shirts hung from hangers, and all her pants, leggings, shorts, and such were folded on a shelf against the back next to a full-length mirror. She took her dress and hung it up in the middle of the other ones before exiting.

Piper came back into the living room, only to find it empty. Behind the closed kitchen door, she heard two people laughing. She knew it was her dad laughing at some cheesy joke Leo had made. When she opened the door, she found her dad sitting at the little island table and Leo cooking taco meat on the stove.

She took a seat beside her dad, trying to catch on to what they were talking about. Luckily, she didn't have to because the subject changed.

"So, Leo," Tristan started, "been working on any projects lately?"

He let out a sad sigh. "Sadly, not as many as I'd like. But," he sounded more positive now, "the king himself asked me to craft two crowns for the festival."

"What!" both the McLean's shouted.

"When was this?" Piper asked.

"Why didn't you say anything about it?" her dad asked.

Leo smirked. "It was supposed to be a surprise, but cat's outta the bag now."

Piper and her dad shouted multiple questions, none of them answered. All Leo did was laugh and tell them to wait till the festival.

"You'll know it when you see it," he hinted, letting the subject drop.

By now the food was done. All the toppings were already cut and ready to be put on. Piper had gotten up to get the crunchy taco shells while her did heated up some soft shells. The meal was quite with an occasional comment or question. After the three of them finished, they put their glasses and plates into the sink.

"Well," Leo looked at the clock on the wall, "I've gotta go. See ya tomorrow."

"You're not staying the night?" Tristan asked. Leo normally spent the majority of his weeknights here and often stayed the night.

"Nah. I've got to be down at the forge by eight and my place is closer. It also has my work clothes I need."

"Alright," both him and Piper replied, understanding the situation. "See ya, later."

Leo waved as he left, walking out the door and to the nearest bus stop. Tristan used to offer him a ride or to call an Uber, but Leo always decline. Eventually, he gave up, letting the small elfish boy alone.

Piper and her dad went into the living room once again and turned on the TV. Tristan put on the news, Piper cuddling up against him. The news cut to a commercial, but before it cut it said, "When we come back in a few minutes, while be talking about the latest news about our own beloved Prince Jason Grace rumored to be dating his childhood friend Lady Reyna Ramirez-Arellano."

Piper sighed, taking the remote and turning the TV set off. She wasn't interested in the latest gossip about who was dating who. Especially if it was about the royals. Her dad, on the other hand, was and put it back on before they said anything about it. With nothing else interesting her, Piper went back to her room.

She had a few different options. Netflix was a common answer to her boredom, as well as taking a long, hot bath. She also thought about checking all her social media accounts, but that would require her to log into her undercover accounts. In the end, she chose Netflix, seeing that they had just added the movie Zootopia. She had wanted to see the movie while it was in theaters, but knew it would never happen.

Ten minutes into the movie, her dad knocked on the door, telling her he was heading to bed. She bid him good night and resumed her movie. By the time she had finished the movie, it was 11:54, so she decided to get ready to sleep.

She threw on an oversized sweater and a pair of gray sweat pants before crawling up under her covers. The dove plushie was clenched to her chest and the all the lights were off. She was out by the stroke of midnight.


	3. Chapter 3

Piper had nothing else to do. Her father had a surprise conference, Leo was in the forge all day, and her car was at the shop getting an oil change. Instead of staying home all day, bored out of her mind, she decided to go outside.

She was dressed in simple, average clothing. A white tank top with a baggy, long sleeved shirt that was orange over it and a pair of faded, cut off blue jeans shorts. She was wearing a random pair of sandals that she had found in the back of her closet and a small brown purse to match. As for her hair, she wasn't in the mood to braid it, so it was being kept out of her face with two green headbands. As a way to hid her face, she had on an old, beat up baseball hat and a pair of sunglasses.

She sent a text to her dad before leaving the house, telling him she was going out for a few hours.

Piper walked out the back door of the house, hoping to avoid anyone who might cause commotion. Luckily, she did avoid people and made it to the bus stop a few blocks away from her house in no time. She sat on the bench, waiting for the bus to pull up. Five minutes later, her mode of public transportation pulled up, allowing her on.

She pulled out the money she needed for the ride, paid the bus driver, and went to take a seat. The bus wasn't crowded yet; there were only six or seven people scattered about. She chooses a seat near the back, looking out the window.

The bus slowly started to fill up. Piper glanced at the time on her phone; now noticing rush hour had started. She'd be getting off soon. In her theory, it was best to go out during rush hour when there was a crowd, meaning she'd be harder to spot.

She was two stops away from her destination when she heard the diver yelling at someone. Looking away from the window, she saw a tall boy with blond hair. He looked to be looking for an open seat. Fortunate for him, there was an open seat right next Piper.

"Hey, kid," she said, loud enough to catch the guy's attention.

The boy turned around, meeting eyes with her before walking down the aisle, nearly getting tripped by a heavily obese woman and her equally obese yapping dog. Who probably would have passed as an over stuffed bratwurst.The blond haired boy sat down beside her. She took good look at his face. He wore a pair of thin gold glasses. Behind the lenses of the glasses, she noticed that his eyes were a blue color. The same color of the sky on a cloudless day. On the corner of his lip was a small scar, tempting her to ask how he got it. She didn't, of course; this was, after all, a stranger.

"Thanks," the boy breathed out. He seemed to be a little jumpy, constantly looking around.

Piper caught on to this, knowing the feeling all too well, though she become suspicious. Could this boy be a thief? A murderer? She pushed the thought aside, not wanting to visit that dark side of her mind.

"Jason," he said, offering a hand out with a smile.

"Piper," she responded, taking his hand and giving it a small shake.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, where are you heading?"

Piper thought for a second. Does she tell him or not? Her plan was to stop by a Starbucks, then hit up a bookstore for some new reading material.

"A coffee shop to meet up with a friend. You?"

"Nowhere, really. I just needed to get out of the house."

The bus stopped again, picking up and letting more people off. Jason was staring intently at the door, Piper noticed. The doors of the bus were about to close when a tall, buff looking guy stepped onto the bus. The man had dark curly hair and bright red lips.

Jason started to look around in a panic. He caught sight of Piper's hat and glasses.

"Can I borrow those?"

"Uh... sure, I guess," she handed him the hat and glasses. Jason handed her the glasses she had been wearing. Piper put them on, trying to act normal. She looked out the window, glancing back at Jason. Wearing this get up, this Jason character looked a little bit like when that one Roger Steve guy from that superhero movie.

The man who had come onto the bus was now making his way to the back. He looked at everyone intently, as if studying him or her for clues.

Piper looked at Jason. He was slouched down a little, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Even though the hat was pulled over his eyes, she could still see where he was looking. He was looking at the man.

The man walked by them, taking a seat in the very back -- the seat that was five rows back.

Once the bus started to move again, Piper started to speak in a low voice. "What was that about?"

Jason glanced over to Piper. She had her head turned to the window, not looking at him. He let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Um, would you believe that he's my bodyguard?"

Piper looked at him, forgetting that the man was watching them. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Why do you have a bodyguard?" she whispered, shocked.

Apparently she had somehow gotten someone else's attention. The person looked up from their gossip magazine, looking over at Piper. She gasped, closing her magazine and examining the cover, then looking back at Piper.

"You're Piper McLean," the girl stated. It was loud enough for nearly everyone on the bus to hear. "You're Tristan McLean's daughter."

"What? Me? No," Piper tried to make up excuses, but she could tell it wasn't working.

As if the fates were in her favor, the bus stopped. Luckily, this was her stop.

"Op, look at where we are. Time for our date, honey."

She grabbed Jason's arm, hauling him out of the seat. He was a little confused, but wanted to get off the bus just as much as Piper. In the process of sanding up, the hat fell off. The man in the back, Jason's bodyguard, was following behind them

"Run," she told Jason. He nodded, taking off.

They ran off the bus, looking around for a get away. They turned left, running down the sidewalk. Jason looked over his shoulder, seeing his bodyguard pushing people out of the way. He grabbed Piper's hand, pulling her in a different direction. They sprinted down an alley way towards a row of dumpsters and a low wall. The duo vault on top the dumpsters and over the wall. Continuing their sprint. As they round a corner running out of the alley, a large recycling truck blazes by and rips Piper's old hat from Jason's head.

"Sorry," he apologized. "But I need to outrun Dakota, or else I'm dead."

"Gotcha," she panted, not used to all this physical activity.

Jason noticed and started to slow down, pulling her into a small cafe. They took a seat at table. Piper sat down, catching her breath while Jason read the menu by the counter.

"Is there anything you want?" he asked.

"Water, please."

He nodded, walking to the counter. When he was away buying their drinks, Piper checked her phone. She had one missed call from her dad, and a text from Leo. She listened to the voicemail first. It was her dad telling her that he wouldn't be home till later that night, and Leo's text was saying that he'd be coming over around six. It was only one-thirty at the moment. She sent Leo a quick reply as Jason sat back down.

Piper took off the golden-rimmed glasses, handing them back to the blond. Jason gave her back her sunglasses, apologizing for losing her hat.

"It's fine," she told him, checking her phone again.

"Oh, did I make you miss that meet up with your friend?" he asked, mad at himself now. "I'm so sorry. I really did--"

"It's fine," Piper cut him off, and then nervously replied. "I, uh... I lied. My friend is actually at work till about six." She bit her lip before adding, "So we can hang out till around five."

"Really?" Jason seemed surprised. "You still want to hang out with me even though I dragged us into a huge mess, literally?"

Piper laughed. "Oh, I've been in worse situations."

Jason smiled, and then remembered what that girl had said on the bus. He could help but ask if it were true. " Hey, umm... about what that girl said on the bus.. about Tristan McLean?"

Piper sighed, nodding. "Yep. That seems to be how everyone looks at me. Just the daughter of Tristan McLean."

Jason noticed the sad look in her eyes. He knew what it was like to live in a shadow as well.

"Anyway," she started, changing the subject. "What makes you so important? You do have a bodyguard, so that says something." She realized how rude that sounded the moment it escaped her mouth.

"I'd rather have you not know quite yet."

Piper let the subject go, not wanting to push him further. Then she realized she didn't know what else to talk about. She caught a glimpse of the shirt he was wearing under his dark blue hoodie.

"You're a Superman fan?"

"Yep."

"I'm more of a Batman type of person."

"Please," smiled and rolled his eyes. "Batman sucks. He's named after an animal that can fly and he can't do that."

"Oh, really? Well, Superman's symbol is an S, standing for hope on his planet, yet to most it stands for stupid."

They spent the next few minutes arguing over the stupidest things. Jason ended the conversation, allowing Piper to win. He had to admit, it was difficult to argue with her. She had many good points, none that Jason could deny.. Batman has Kryptonite.

People came and went through the small shop. Jason bought them both bagels to eat, as well as coffee. They chatted more about their interests, like movies, books, and music. They had started telling each other jokes. The Harry Potter jokes, that is.

"Why did Harry Potter cross the road?" Jason asked her. She shrugged, waiting for him to continue. "Don't know, but someone's going to write a fanfic about it."

Piper burst out laughing. She didn't read too many Harry Potter fan fictions, but she knew that fandom did everything. She had no doubt that a fan fic like that was out there.

As Jason gazed down at his half full glass of water.. he thought to himself and suddenly jolted upwards with crazy eyes locked towards Piper's. " Just had a crazy thought.. what if.. now bear with me here... we all live in our own fanfiction?.. Mind. Blown." Piper had never cringed so hard in her life, but decided to humor him. She made a fake toast towards him saying " What next the gods are real?... You never know...."

Jason was about to back up his life changing theory with hard evidence, when he saw who was coming. He knew there was no getting away this time, so he simply waited for the inevitable.

Dakota made his way over, sitting down beside Jason and Piper. In his hand was a bottle of fruit punch that was half empty. He took a sip before scolding the blonde.

"Jason, don't do that again. You're going to get me fired."

"Sorry, man," Jason said. "You have no idea how much attention you'd attract."

"Oh, and like she wouldn't," Dakota said, pointing at Piper.

"Uh, still here," she said, pouting a little. Her phone buzzed, and she checked the time. It was nearly time for her to leave. She stood up, looking at the two boys in front of her. "Well, I gotta get going. See ya around, Jason."

She turned to leave, but was stopped. Jason handed her a napkin that had something scribbled on in. Before she could check, Jason said, "It's my number."

"Thanks," Piper replied, smiling. She turned away before he could see her bright crimson blush, and headed out the door. He then sat back down with Dakota.

Dakota shook his head in disbelief, looking at Jason. "You picked a good one, Jason. She's hella hot." Jason sent a glare in his direction. " What are you Dakota? Some kinda Man-Slut?"

Dakota rolled his eyes. Jason doing the same standing up. Dakota followed in suit. They headed outside where Jason spotted the car they'd be using to get back to the palace. On the side of the black car was the royal crest. Jason hoped that Piper hadn't seen it when she passed by.

He opened the door, sitting in the back seat. Dakota took his seat in the passenger's seat, waiting for the prince to buckle up. Once he was, they took back off to the Jason's home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a few bits in Spanish that will be translated at the end. If you're impatient, feel free to skip to the end or look it up. If you speak the language or understand what it says, good for you.

Before Piper even opened the door, she heard Leo singing along to a horrible pop song. Piper unlocked the door, entering the house. She found her friend in the kitchen dancing to the radio while making grilled cheese. Instead of making herself presence noticeable, she stood away from the kitchen door just watching him.

He used the spatula he was holding as a mic, breaking into the chorus.

"Work, work, work, work, work, work

He say me have to

Work, work, wor--"

"My gods, turn this shit off!"

Leo let out a not to manly scream, dropping his kitchen utensil on the floor. He spotted Piper in the doorway. With a hand on his chest, he started to calm down. Piper, who really didn't want to hear the music, picked up the radio remote and turned it off.

They stared at each other in silence. Finally Leo picked up the spatula, continuing to make his sandwich before it burned. It was, unfortunately, burned on one side. He put it on a plate, handling it to Piper.

"Because you distracted me."

Piper shrugged. "Better than nothing."

Leo sighed, watching her bit into it. He started to make another sandwich, and asked about her day.

"Well, I met a boy," she told him. Before she could say more, Leo looked at her all wide eyed like he couldn't believe her.

"Who?"

"His name is Jason."

"Last name?"

"Wouldn't say."

He turned back to the stove, flipping over the bread. While doing so, he thought about this Jason guy.

Was he a murderer? A thief? A stalker?

Without saying anything out loud, Piper knew what he was thinking.

"No, Leo, he's not a criminal, and, as far as I'm aware, he hasn't committed a felony," she paused before continuing. "He's got to be someone important though. He had a bodyguard."

"What was the bodyguard's name?"

"Dakota, if I remember correctly."

Leo dropped everything he was doing and looked her right in the eyes. Piper, who was now beyond confused, raised an eyebrow at him and gave him the 'what the f' face.

"What did this guy look like? Jason, I mean."

"Uh, blond hair, about this tall," she gestured a few inches taller than her with her hand, "blue eyes, a little scar on his upper lip, and a pair of golden glasses."

Leo started closer at his friend, speaking very slowly. "And you didn't get a last name?"

"No. Why?"

There was a ten second silence. Leo didn't say anything, and Piper didn't say anything. Then, out of nowhere, Leo burst out laughing. It was so sudden, Piper jumped. She watched Leo as he laughed, tears coming out the corner of his eyes.

"What? What's so funny?"

In between his giggles and gasps, he managed to say, "Chica estúpida, no se da cuenta de que él es el hijo del rey?"

Piper growled, pouting. "You know I don't understand Spanish."

Leo laughed harder, knowing she didn't understand. He had answered her question, just not the way she wanted it. Knowing that his laughter wouldn't die down anytime soon, she stood up and began to walk away. Leo, not wanting her to leave quite yet, ran after her.

"No, espera un segundo ... sólo un segundo," he stopped, talking only to laugh again. Piper shook her head, entering her room. Once she was in, she locked the door behind her.

She started walking away, even though she heard Leo calling out for her. She chose to ignore her small Latino friend till he had calmed down enough to speak in English for her. That wouldn't be for another ten minutes, if she got lucky.

Until then, she decided to listen to music with headphones on and read a book. She picked a random book off her shelf and began to read. The book she grabbed was the Selection, one of her favorites.

She was half way through the first chapter when the door opened. Leo was on his knees, tools in his hands. He had obviously picked the lock. Piper had forgotten how good he was at that.

Leo came in, lying down beside where Piper was. It wasn't an awkward thing for them; this was a normal, sibling like thing they did often. Leo took Piper's book from her and pulled her headphones out, not saying anything. They laid there in silence for a moment until Leo spoke.

"I'm sorry I made fun of you," he apologized. "I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Piper turned her head to face Leo. He looked at her as well. "What did you say earlier?"

Leo grinned, looking up at the ceiling. "Not saying, but I'll say this: you'll find out soon enough."

Piper punched Leo's arm, causing him to roll off bed, laughing. Piper said some insult in French to him, now sitting up on her bed. Leo once again apologized, suggesting that they watch a movie. Piper agreed figuring it was the only other thing they could do without provoking her.

They went into the living room, turning on the TV. Leo flipped through the channels while Piper went to make popcorn and get the sodas. Leo smiled, finding one of Piper's favorite movies. She came back in with the snacks, smiling when she saw what was on.

The Dark Knight had just started. Piper sat down, placing the popcorn between her and Leo. She handed him a can of orange soda, wrapping a blanket around herself.

About half way through the movie, the front door unlocked. Piper's dad had just gotten dropped off by his manager and was about ready to hit the hay, but wanted to see his daughter first. He walked into the dark living room, seeing her and Leo watching a Batman movie.

"Hey, dad," Piper said, not looking away from the screen.

"Hey," he sat down beside her, taking a handful of popcorn. "Anything exciting happen today?"

"Not really. I just--"

"Piper has a boyfriend," Leo said, setting his soda. Piper whipped her head in Leo's direction. The second he said it though; he was up and running away.

"Leo Valdez, you little-- ugh!"

Tristan didn't say anything for a second. He waited till the murderous look in Piper's eyes had gone before he spoke.

"I'm going to assume he was joking."

Piper groaned. "Yes, but I did meet a boy today. His name is Jason."

She told him exactly what she had told Leo when's he had gotten home. Her dad simply listened to his discretion, not interrupting or asking questions. At the end, Tristan had thought as to who the boy might be, but didn't say it out loud; that was for his daughter to figure out on her own.

"Well don't stay up too long," he stood up, walking to his room. He paused to add, "Oh, and don't kill Leo."

"I make no promises," she joked. The two smiled at each other before Tristan went to his room for bed. Piper returned to her movie, eating the remaining popcorn. Leo, who waited another five minutes, emerged from his room, keeping quiet. He was afraid that if he made a sound, Piper would do on a murder spree.

"So... " Leo tapped his knee during the end credits, "anything else happen today?"

"Not really," Piper said, walking into the kitchen to put her bowl in the sink and throw away all the pop cans. She left the blanket behind, as well as something from her pocket. Leo noticed something slip out and went to investigate. His eyes widened.

"Piper!" he shouted.

"Shhh!" she hissed. "My dad's trying to sleep."

He rushed into the kitchen, waving around the napkin he found. Piper grabbed his wrist, holding it still so she could see what it was. Her eyes widened as well, and she took it back, shoving it into her pocket.

"Why didn't you tell me you got his number?"

"Because you'd loss it just like you is now."

It was true. Leo was still staring at her like she had just grown another head. He ran both his hand through his hair, slightly tugging on the ends. Slowly, he started sliding down onto the ground. Piper rolled her eyes, announcing she was going to bed.

"Alright. That fine. Just leave me here to die," Leo fell over to the side, curled in a ball. "I'll be fine."

Piper sighed, shaking her head. He was overreacting.

She entered her room, turning on a lamp. She quickly plugged in her phone, tossed the crumpled up napkin into the nightstand, and went to change into her pajamas. As she lay down, she looked at the napkin. She had saved Jason's number to her phone, but hadn't texted him yet.

Tomorrow, she told herself, turning off the lamp. I'll text him tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> Chica estúpida, no se da cuenta de que él es el hijo del rey? - Stupid girl, don't you realize that he's the son of the king?
> 
> No, espera un segundo ... sólo un segundo - No, wait just a second... just one second.


	5. Chpater 5

The next morning Jason awoke to the sound of his phone going off. Groaning, he rolled over to see why. On the lock screen, an unknown number had popped up, which Jason found unusual. As a prince, not many people had his number or how to get ahold of him personally.

He typed in his pin code and opened up the text.

To: Me

From: Unknown

Hey, it's Piper. The girl from yesterday.

Jason let out a sigh of relief that he didn't realize he'd been holding. He always had a feat that it would be some crazy stalker, or someone con artist. After quickly saving the number and checking the time, he replied.

To: Piper

From: Me

Hey, it's Jason.

Jason hit send, slightly face palming himself. Of course she knew it was Jason; she wouldn't be texting him otherwise.

To: Me

From: Piper

Lol. I know, you dork. What are you doing today?

He checked his calendar on his phone. As of right now, the calendar that he shared with Thalia and his dad was clear, though something could still come up. The festival was only six days away now. And knowing his parents, there were going to be last minute preparations.

To: Piper

From: Me

I'll have to check with my sister and parents. We've been kind of busy lately, and I have no idea if they'll need me today.

Jason's phone buzzed a second later before he could even set it down.

To: Me

From: Piper

Oh, well hope you guys get what you need done. My dad and friend/brother wanted to meet you.

Jason bit his lip, running a hand through his hair. He didn't want to let Piper down. But if he could just sneak out for a few hours...

A knock came from the door. Jason sent a quick text, apologizing for the inconvenience and that he'd get back to her back. He slipped the phone into his pocket and opened the door. Thalia stood there, her arms crossed. Rather if it was of impatience or annoyance, Jason couldn't tell.

"Dad wants us," she informed him, walking off.

Jason chased after her, checking his phone. It wasn't even eight yet. What could their dad possibly want with them already?

"Do you know what he wants?" Jason asked.

"Nope. Didn't ask."

"Any idea."

Thalia sighed. "The festival, maybe. Like I'd know."


	6. Happy New Years!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This does not effect the rest of the story.*

New Year's wasn't a holiday Piper or Jason enjoyed. Both were always invited to countless parties which they had to attend to. Piper always went with her father, Leo sometimes tagging along. Jason, unfortunately, was usually left alone with his sister. Reyna had other parties to attend to, sadly, meaning she couldn't be there to back her best friend up.

But this year was different. Jason has someone to invite and he knew it was the best choice.

December first, Piper received two letters in the mail. One addressed to her, and the other to her dad. She opened it right away, her eyes widening at the royal seal plastered right on the front of the card. Flipping it over, she started to read.

Dear Piper Mclean,

On behalf of the royal family, we'd like to invite you to the annual New Year's celebration at the palace on New Year's Eve. There will be plenty of food, drinks, and activities held for the entire guest. The party begins at five and will end at three.

Hope to see you then, King Zeus, Queen Hera, and the Grace children

Piper smiled, nearly squealing with happiness. She couldn't wait for her dad to come home so he could find out they'd been invited to the biggest, grandest party in the whole kingdom. There was no way he'd deny an invitation to the palace.

She set the other letter down on the kitchen table and checked her phone. One missed call from Leo Valdez. She called back immediately, needing to tell someone what was going on.

Leo picked up after the second ring. "Piper, you won't guess what just happened."

"Well, you won't guess what just happened to me either."

"I got invited to the palace for New Year's."

Piper went silent for a second, thinking. "Hey, Leo," she said, needing to speak with a certain blonde prince, "I'll call you back in a few minutes."

"Kay."

Piper hit the end call button, finding Jason's contact. She ended up with voicemail in the end. She huffed, ending the call without saying a word. If he wanted to know why she called, then he could call her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Petite merde! Vous ne pouvez pas simplement aller autour de donner mon adresse aux gens. Vous avez besoin d'une autorisation pour cela. Oh, vous êtes si chanceux que vous n'êtes pas près de moi maintenant parce que-- = Little shit! You cannot just go around giving my address to people. You need permission for this. Oh, you're so lucky you're not near me now because--


	7. Chapter 6

The day of the Spring Festival had arrived. Piper had awoken refreshed and happy as ever. Today was a big day for her. It would be her first time attending the celebration. She’d be with her dad and best friend. And, if she were lucky, Jason would be there as well. She knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up, but she couldn’t help it. It would be nice to see him.

Piper left her bedroom, meeting her dad and Leo in the kitchen. Her dad was making a pot of coffee and Leo was making breakfast for them while jamming out to some song in Spanish. When Piper entered, she decided to set the table for their meal. Just as she finished up, Leo set a plate of waffles and bacon onto the table.

“Bon appétit!,” Piper announced, digging into her meal. Everyone else did the same, not knowing when they’d be eating next. When they finished, not a single crumb was left on their plates.

Each of them went back to their rooms to get ready. The process, as expected, took hours. Piper and Tristan knew what they were doing, but Leo didn’t. He’d pop into one of their rooms every so often asking for help with something, rather it’d be to put a tie on or apply make up. They, like any good person, would help him out, even though it took them longer to get ready. Then again, they didn’t care; they both knew Leo was new to this.

Around three, Tristan’s chauffeur pulled up. On a normal day, it would only take an hour and a half, two at most, to reach the area the festival was being held, but they had to account for traffic. On top of that, every reporter in the kingdom would be there to document everything, so that meant they’d be pulling the famous actor away for interviews.

“The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there. And the sooner we get there, the sooner I can deal with the paparazzi and hang out with you kids,” Tristan explained when Leo asked why. To them it seemed logical.

So they spent the car ride talking, playing cards, listening to music and scrolling through phones. When they weren’t interacting, they were quiet, looking out the windows.

Just as expected, they drove through two hours and fifteen minutes of traffic. When they pulled up the entrance, they spotted many celebrities already surrounded by multiple reporters. When Tristan exited the car, the swarm of people came over to him, and soon to Leo and Piper. They asked questions.

“Mr. McLean, what’s your next big plan?”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

“Do you have anything for your fans to look out for?”

Piper stood away from the commotion, Leo beside her. They were standing off to the side, waiting for her father to finish up his interviews. Or, that was the plan till one of them spotted the younger two. One reporter started to rush over, as well as a few others. Piper grabbed Leo’s arm and started to drag him away. Tristan noticed, and excused himself to join his two children.

The group of three hurried away before the paparazzi could catch up, only to be stopped again by the top news channel that asked the famous McLean about his outfit. Piper and Leo once again waited, though it was short. Maybe five minutes at most.

Tristan led both kids away from the cameras and crowds, and to where the festivities would be held. A soldier guarding the entrance stopped them, asking for their names, as all the guards were required to.

“McLean,” Tristan answered for all three of them. Leo normally went under the name as well during times like these.

“Follow me,” the man said.

Piper and Tristan shared a confused look. Piper cast a glance at Leo, seeing a grin across his face.

“Do you know anything about this?”

Leo, still grinning, drew two fingers across his lips, twisted them, and acted like he was throwing something over his shoulder.

“Lips are sealed.”

Piper looked away, slightly afraid as to what her friend was up to. A majority of the time, a grin meant nothing good. But the more she thought about it, the less everything made sense. What had Leo done to get a personal escort ?

As they walked, both McLean’s took notice at the people and foods around them. Women wore more fancy and expensive dresses and jewels. Men looked to be wearing new, freshly tailored suits and shiny gold watches. The foods and beverages also seemed to be made for the highest of classes.

As they glanced around, they only found unfamiliar faces. Then Tristan caught sight of one and gasped. Piper and Leo looked as well to see what had caught his eyes.

Standing near a banquet table talking to someone was a woman, beautiful no doubt. Her white, glowing, curled hair was tied up in an elegant updo with a braided crown and slight white silver shone mixed in with crystals woven in and around the updo itself. Around her neck was a red stone hanging from a golden chain, sparkling in the light. The satin, off-the-shoulder dress she wore was the perfect shade of red rose, hugging her curves. The woman turned her head, looking in their direction. They noticed her flawless smile, and kaleidoscope eyes. If that wasn't enough, that infamous smell of Chanel N°5 making it exceptionally obvious as to who it was.

The woman excused herself from the man she was speaking to before making her way over to them. She smiled, looked at Tristan. Tristan, who was still in shock, had his mouth wide open. Piper had to nudge him in the side for him to close it.

“Tristan, long time, no see.”

“You too, Aphrodite.”

Aphrodite turned to Piper, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Oh, Piper, how I’ve missed you. You never come to visit!”

“Sorry, Mom,” Piper apologized, pulling away to look at her directly. “You've just been too busy lately that I didn’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense, you’re my daughter. I’ll always have time for you.”

Aphrodite took her arm gently, leading her away so they could continue their conversation. Piper glanced back over her shoulder, sending a plea for help to her father and friend. Leo shook his head, letting her know that she would not be receiving any help from him. Piper mentally sighed, knowing she’d be stuck with her mother for longer than she’d like.

As she was whisked away, Piper thought that maybe the reason they were led into the classier area was because of her mother. But then how would Leo know about it? She would expect her father to know more than Leo. And both of them knew that she wasn’t as fond of her mother as some would lead to believe, so did either of them know?

It was another hour before her mother let her go, and when she did it’s because someone had asked to dance with Piper. She was about to decline the offer, but Aphrodite encouraged her to accept. Piper was then pulled onto the dance floor, joining in traditional dances for an hour and a half before she was able to sneak off.

Leo caught sight of her and rushed over.

“Are you alright?”

She nodded, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “I’m going to get some food and find a place with no people.”

Leo glanced around. “I doubt you’ll be finding that.”

“I can try.”

Leo followed her, picking up a plate and filling it with food. While balancing the plate on one hand, they picked up a glass in the other before looking for a quiet place to sit. They found one in the gardens near a hedge. In front of the hedge was a stone bench where the two chose to sit and enjoy their meal.

Leo told some story about a girl he had seen earlier that night and tried to flirt with. He claimed that the chick was into him, but Piper knew better. The poor girl was just trying to be nice, but she probably wanted to get away as soon as possible.

Half way through the story, Leo’s phone went off and he went to check it. Seconds later, he was typing away on his phone. He was obviously texting someone. Piper leaned over, seeing the contacted saved under as ’Sparky’.

“Who’s that?” Piper asked, her mouth full.

Leo glanced up, shoving his phone into his pocket. “No one.”

Piper raised an eyebrow, slowing chewing her food. “Leo, unless it’s a client of yours who gave you their phone number, I doubt it.”

“I swear, it’s--”

“Hey, guys,” someone said behind them. They turned to see a tall blond teen with glasses standing there.

“Jason?” Piper said. “You’re here too?”

“Everyone is,” he reminded her. He turned to Leo and started some really long handshake. “Been a while, Leo.”

“Jason, you saw me, like, two days ago. Maybe that just shows how much you like me.”

I rolled my eyes at him before addressing the subject.

“How do you two know each other?”

Leo answered before Jason could even open his mouth. “I took your phone and got his number.”

“Leo!”

“Hey, I need to know who my best friend’s dating.”

Piper’s cheeks turned pink and she glared at him. “We’re not dating.”

“Yet,” Leo added.

Piper turned a deeper shade of pink remember that Jason was standing right there. She looked back down at her plate, picking out a new thing to eat instead of looking up at the two boys.

“Well,” Jason started, “I’ve got a little more time till my dad needs me for something, so…” he held out a hand to Piper. “Care you dance?”

Piper set down her plate and took his hand. “I’ll warn you, I’m not the best.”

Jason smiled. “It’s alright. I’ve danced with worse tonight already.”

Piper chuckled, looking over her shoulder at Leo. He sent her two thumbs up with a smile on his face. She laughed again.

Jason led her to the dance floor just as a new song had begun. It wasn’t a slow song necessarily, but it wasn’t as fast as the song from earlier. Piper and Jason both looked at each other, a blush spreading across their faces. Piper looked away, choosing to look at Jason’s suit instead.

He wore black Aldo Aswine dress shoes with a pair of black pants to patch. The Armani linen chambray coat he wore was the same color as the kingdom’s flag, a light sky blue, a white Armani dress shirt, and a silk blue tie to match the coat. On the cuffs of his sleeves were little lightning bolt pins, another part of the kingdom’s flag.

“You seem very nationalistic,” Piper stated.

“Well, if you grew up with my family you would be to.”

“Speaking of your family, what are they like?”

Jason was quiet for a moment; thinking of how to explain without giving his identity away yet. Once he had his thoughts gathered, he answered her.

“I have an older sister, and she’s nice. I love her dearly, but there are times where we don’t get along. My mom died when I was too young to remember, but my sister does, unfortunately. Luckily, my father was there for us, but the older we got, the less he was around. And our step-mother, isn’t too fond of us, but,” he paused and chuckled a little, “we won’t get into that right now.” There was a short pause. “What about you? Your family?”

Piper sighed. “Well, you know my dad’s an actor, so he isn’t around much, but when he is we spend a lot of time together. My mom is a famous fashion designer that you might now. Aphrodite? Anyway, then there’s Leo who I consider a brother. Not much else to say.”

They continued to dance. Some were fast pace ones, others were slow. For the most part, Piper did well. She didn’t step on Jason’s feet, or stumble too much. She also noticed how he moved in such a graceful manner, like he’d had years of experience.

In the middle of one of their dances, a person ran over to them. Piper recognized as Dakota, Jason’s bodyguard. He whispered something into Jason’s ear. He ran off again once Jason received the message.

“I’m afraid that after this dance my dad needs me for something,” Jason told her, a hint of sadness mixed in with his words, then his mood brightened. “But we’ll see each other later. I promise.”

Piper’s mood brightened as well.

The song ended, as did their dance. Jason bowed, placing a kiss on Piper’s knuckles. He bid her farewell for the time being before disappearing into the crowd. Piper blushed, leaving the dance floor to find Leo and of course her dad.

Her dad was off to the side sipping a glass of champagne. Piper stopped by the nearest banquet table, taking up a glass of some non-alcoholic Shirley Temple joining her dad on the sidelines. He smiled at her, admitting that he saw her dancing with a boy.

“So that was Jason?” he asked, his eyes brow raised.

“Yep, that was him.”

He hummed in approval, finishing off his drink. His expression afterward told her that he knew something she didn’t. That seemed to have happened a lot over the past week. So often that she’d given up on trying to figure out why because no one would answer her. Well, they would, but they answer in some stupid riddle or something.

Leo found them and told something he had seen a few minutes ago that was just absolutely hilarious to him. The story was a little amusing, seeing as he earned a chuckle from her dad.

Another song played, one of Leo’s favorites. He pulled Piper with him onto the dance floor, starting to dance in a horrible style, also known as The Leo Style. Piper joined in, both of them receiving odd and disapproving looks from the others around them. Neither of them cared. They were having fun.

Tristan walked over a few minutes later. He had come here to spend time with his daughter, but had hardly spent the night with her at all. People had been pulling them away, or they had been rubbing off to see others, but now they had a chance for some nice father-daughter bonding time.

They danced to a few different songs, each of them varying from different music styles. Some were upbeat and fast, others were slow and calming. Piper was beyond happy because it reminded her of when she was a little girl and her father was first teaching her how to dance.

They would’ve continued if the music hadn’t stopped and announcement was starting to be made.

Up on stage where the DJ had been playing the music, someone had come out to announce the king and queen were about to make a speech. Everyone one in the crowd began to clap, and clapped again when the two rulers came out onto the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the king said, “I’m here to thank you for coming to celebrate this joyous occasion with me and my family. We all thank you for coming, and hope that you’ve had a wonderful time. We’ll be serving dinner shortly, but first, it is my children's duty to select the families who will be sharing a meal with us tonight. I’ll allow my daughter, Princess Thalia, to take it from here.”

King Zeus left the stage with Hera latched onto his arm. They went and sat a large table that had been set up for them and the families of honor. At the table, there were a total of eight chairs. Two at the head for the king and queen, another two at the other end, and two on each side. Piper was now very curious as to who the families would be.

Thalia came up onto the stage, her hair cut short and in a light blue dress that made her electric blue eyes pop. She smiled at the crowd, waiting for the applause to end. When it did, she began to say which family she had chosen.

“The family I have chosen is the Valdez family.”

Piper and Tristan gasped, looking at Leo. He had a proud smile plastered onto his face, laughing at their shock. The people around them were whispering to another, wonder that the family was and how they had grasped the attention of the princess. Thalia continued on seconds later.

“Unfortunately, there is only one living member left the family. I had met the remaining member only a few weeks ago, but I’ve gotten to know him better. Well enough to know he’s a trustworthy friend, so, if Leo Valdez would care to join me up here, I’d like that.”

Leo straightened out his tie, smiling at Piper and her father.

“Well, that’s my que. See you in a while guys,” he said, pushing through the crowd to the stage. Once he was confirmed at Leo Valdez, the security guards let him pass and onto the stage where he waited beside Thalia.

“And now for my brother, Prince Jason.”

A new person walked out onto the stage. Piper’s eyes widened, immediately recognizing the boy on the stage.

It was Jason. The Jason she had just met a week ago, only without the glasses.

“I’m such an idiot…” Piper mumbled to herself, burying her face in her hands. Her dad wrapped an arm around her shoulders in attempt to comfort her.

“It’s okay, darling. We all have our moments.”

That didn’t help her.

“The family I have chosen is a family of three. Well, technically three. The name is McLean, and, though most of you are familiar with the famous actor Tristan McLean and his ex-wife Aphrodite, I chose them because of their daughter. I only met Piper a week ago, but she took my breath away the second I saw her.”

All eyes were on her and her father now. Piper was a blushing mess at this point. Jason had just complimented her in front of everyone, and didn’t sound the slightest bit hesitant about it.

“If the McLean’s were to join me and my family in dining with us tonight, I’d be honored.”

Tristan led Piper to the stage where they met up with Leo, Jason, and Thalia. Aphrodite met them seconds later. Jason linked arms with Piper, still smiling brightly. Piper did the same, though she was still as red as a cherry. Once the king announced that dinner would be served in few short minutes, the six of them were led to the table with the royals.

Each of them shook hands with the king and queen, as well as the prince and princess, or, in Piper and Aphrodite’s case, a kiss on the hand from the boys. Afterwards, they took their seat. Tristan and Aphrodite took a seat at the opposite end from Zeus and Hera while Thalia and Piper sat across from Leo and Jason.  
At first Hera and Zeus focused their attention on the adults, asking them adult things. You know, like adults do, before turning their attention to Leo and Piper.

“So, Mr. Valdez,” Hera started, picking at her food. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you become the only member of your family?”

Piper shared glance with him, letting him know he didn’t have to say if he didn’t want to. He did anyway.

“Well, your highness, I never knew my father, and my grandparents died shortly after I was born. My mother… she died in a fire when I was a kid. My aunt was supposed to take me in, but called me the devil child before putting me into foster care.”

“That’s horrible!” both the ruler’s exclaimed.

Leo shrugged. “It is what it is.”

Multiple servants appeared from nowhere, setting down a platter in front of all eight of them. Servants lifted the lid, revealing their meal. Piper had never seen food so fancy, nor did she recognize anything on the plate. One of the servants began to tell them what it was. A appetizer of chef Miramar’s own amuse bouche and a bouillabaisse with duck foie gras and rouille on both for the main dish, though Piper still didn’t recognize the dish. She looked up and made eye contact with Leo who was just as confused as her. Once the servants had gone away, they began to eat.

“It’s fancy talk for Jello, fish soup and duck,” Thalia whispered to her.

Piper looked at the food again. If it was all that, why did it look like it was worth a million dollars?

“Are you sure?”

Thalia chuckled. “Positive.”

The next few minutes were silent, meaning that none of them were talking. There was noise in the background, and the sound of silverware hitting plates, but no one spoke. That was until Queen Hera finished eating.

“So, Piper,” Hera said, whipping the corner of her lip one more time. Piper stiffened, hearing her name come from the queen. “I see you’ve caught my step-son’s attention somehow.”

“I-I suppose so, your highness,” Piper stuttered. Normally she wouldn’t be so nervous, but maybe it was just the fact that she was speaking to the queen.

“How did you two meet? Jason never told us the story.”

“I--”

“Hera,” Jason stopped Piper before she could recite the story, “maybe you shouldn’t integrate her right now. She’s a little nervous.”

“Nonsense! She’s fine,” Hera rose from the table, becoming Piper over. “Here. Come walk with me.”

Piper stood and did as the queen said. She looked back at everyone else. The king didn’t look fazed or concerned at all. Aphrodite smiled, encouraging her to while her dad sat there nodding, telling her to go, though he looked a little nervous. Leo paled. He shared a look with Piper, and all she saw in his eyes was fear. Jason Thalia, on the other hand, looked furious, though it wasn’t directed at Piper. It was directed to their stepmother.

Piper joined the queen at her side, allowing the woman of the higher stature to lead the way. Hera started a conversation, a simple one that sounded like a casual everyday conversation, but the second they were out of earshot, her tone changed as well as her attitude.

“Do you have any questions that you’d like to ask me, dear?” Hera asked.

“None that I can think of, no.”

“Well then, I’ll enlighten you with a story,” Hera said, talking Piper’s arm as they strode through the gardens. Piper looked around to see if anyone was near by. Not too far away did she see Leo, Jason, and Thalia. They looked like they were waiting for the right moment to come to her rescue.

“It happened twenty years ago, about three years after Zeus and I were married. We were happy, we had everything. He had just become king, and I had just become his queen. We were happy, or so I thought. Then, one night, he didn’t come back to our room around his normal time. The next day I asked him about it, and he told me not to worry. That everything was alright. At the time, I believed him.”

Piper looked out the corner of her eye, seeing the small group of three slowly moving at the same pace her and the queen were. They made sure to keep a distance between them, fearing that Hera might catch them.

Hera continued her story. “This continued on for a while before things turned to normal. Then it began to happen two years later, and I wonder again. This time, I sent someone to spy on him for me, and the news was shocking to me,” she paused, taking deep breath. “Zeus swore to me before we got married that he would never have a mistress. He’s kept his word still to this day, though he did cheat on me. Many times, in fact.”

Piper gasped. “That’s horrible.”

Hera nodded in agreement. “It’s a shame, really. Apparently when he said that he meant that he wouldn’t have an ‘official’ mistress. The spy who was working for me informed me of what my husband was up to. He had apparently been sneaking off to see Beyl Grace, a famous actress. You father knew her, if I remember correctly. Anyway, that wasn’t even the worst part. They had had children. Two.”

“Oh…” Piper mumbled, now knowing the point of the story. “What happened then?”

She sighed. “I forbid my husband from ever entering that house again. He would never lay eyes on that woman, or the children they shared.”

Piper gulped, now terrified of the woman beside her. She made a mental note to herself so never get on her bad side.

“Then Beyl died. Zeus, without even speaking to me about the matter, brought the kids straight to the palace. The following day he claimed the children as his own, crowning them prince and princess before they left for the funeral. They’ve been here since.”

Piper hesitated before asking, “Why are you telling me this?”

Hera’s grip on Piper arm tightened. “As a warning. Jason’s the same way. He promises his heart to one, but she only gets her heart trampled in the end. Just ask Reyna.”

Piper was now extremely worried now. Was Jason really like that?

“Hera,” someone said behind them. They turned to see Thalia. “That’s enough.”

“Fine,” she said, releasing her grasp on Piper. “Have a nice night, dear.”

Hera walked away, leaving the two standing there in the garden. Thalia rushed over to Piper who had started shaking without realizing it.

“Are you okay? What did she tell you?”

Piper shook her head, not saying word. She was on the verge of tears. “I think I’m going to find my dad and tell him I want to go home,” she told the princess, her voice cracking.

Thalia bit her lip. “Alright. I’ll find Leo for you.”

Piper nodded. “Thank you.”

They went in different directions. While trying to find her father, she saw Jason looking for someone. She knew he was looking for her, but she didn’t want to be found by him. At least, not right now.

Piper found her dad talking to Leo. When they saw Piper and her look of distress, they knew it was time to leave. On the way out, Jason tried to stop them, but Leo told him to back off.

“I’ll be stopping by to talk to you tomorrow,” Leo warned the prince, following after his dear friend.


	8. Chapter 7

Two days had passed since the festival and Piper still didn’t say anything about what happened between her and the queen. Tristan and Leo were extremely worried about her, but they did their best to comfort her. Now, Piper was laying on the couch, flipping through chanels. Leo was at the forge and would be returning at six. Her dad was planning on staying home all day, but ran in around ten, informing her something came up and had to leave.

Nothing good was on, so Piper turned off the TV and stared out the window. The sky was covered in gray clouds, blocking out the sun. The young girl sighed, expecting the rain to start soon.

She got up from the couch and entered the kitchen. A bag of unopened Dirito’s sat on the counter, leaving the perfect snack for her. She opened it up, brushing the hair out of her face. Around two Leo called.

“Hey, Pipes, got some bad news?”

“What is it?” Piper frowned, ruffling her unbraided hair.

“I gotta go to the Sun Kingdom asap. There’s some tools that I need there, and they’re only available for pick up.”

She sighed. “When do you leave?”

“At… three. That’s the next train heading out.”

“Stay safe.”

Leo chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “I’ll do my best.” He paused for a moment. “Anything from Jason?”

Piper swallowed. “Nothing.”

“Is your dad home?”

“No. Emergency meeting or something.”

Leo sighed. Piper knew he was ruffling his hair while thinking. “I’ll try to make it back as soon as I can, I promise.”

“It’s fine, Leo. You have a job. I understand. Now, go get packed. It’s already two.”

“Wait, what! I’ve got to go.”

Piper chuckled, shaking her head at Leo’s management of time. It was a tendency of his to pack at last minute. It was an amazement he got anywhere on time with everything he needed.

After eating half the bag of chips, Piper debated on whether or not to buy a pizza. There were plenty of leftovers in the fridge, but nothing looked good at the moment, and she didn’t feel like cooking. Then again, she never felt like cooking, escaping if it was just for one. Minutes later, she ordered a large veggie pizza for herself, though there’d probably be leftovers.

She flopped back down on the couch, quickly checking her phone. There were no notifications from any apps, no missed calls, and no messages. Piper didn’t know know if she should be relieved or concerned by the lack of messages from Jason. Wasn’t he concerned about her?

Sighing she put her phone down, picking up the Selection again. She had finished the book the other day, but chose to reread it again before moving onto the next book. Something about the first book always seemed to attract her attention and distract her from reality. What felt like hours later but was only forty minutes, the doorbell rang. Piper set the book down, grabbing the money for the pizza.

“So,” she said, as she opened the door, “the tip may be a little much, but I--”

She looked up. Instead of seeing the pizza delivery guy, she saw the prince of the kingdom. At first she didn’t know how to react, so they just stared at each other for a moment. Piper snapped out of her daze when Jason opened his mouth. The door was slammed in his face.

“Piper, wait! Let me explain.”

She glared at him through the door, hoping that he’d somehow know. “Make me!” There was no response from the other side. Piper was about to walk away till she realized something. Anger boiled in her again and she threw the door open. “How did you find my address?”

Jason flushed. “Oh, uh, well… I may have looked it up through the royal records…”

“Stalker!”

She slammed the door again, marching back into the house. She was so done with him now…

The doorbell rang again. For a split second, she thought it was Json, but then she remembered the pizza. Jason would still most likely be outside waiting for the door to open again and maybe be given a chance to speak, but she didn’t care. The food was more important.

She opened the door. The delivery man stood there with the pizza, of course, though he looked like he’d rather be somewhere else. Just before Piper shut the door, the man gestured to something behind him.

“Do you know that guy?” he asked. Without even looking, she nodded. “He here for you?”

“Yes,” she paused before adding loudly just for Jason to hear, “and you can tell him to go fuck off!”

The delivery guy cracked a smile, suppressing a laugh. Behind him, Jason threw his hands up in defeat. On the way back to the car, the pizza man paused, patting Jason’s shoulder.

“I wish you luck with whatever you did.”

“It wasn’t me,” Jason growled. “It was my step-mother.”

“Good luck anyway.”

***

Twenty minutes later the rain that been falling steadily all day suddenly sharted to pour from the sky. Piper glanced outside, seeing that Jason was still waiting out there, now under a tree and soaked from head to toe. She stood by the window, watching to see what he’d do next.

Nothing. Jason did nothing to stop the water from hitting him and made no move to leave his position. 

She sighed, walking into the bathroom, grabbing a fresh towel. Her hand rested on the front door for a second. A voice in the back of her head, the stubborn one, was telling her to just let the blond stand out there all day. Another one, a nicer one, told her to continue as she was; that Jason and suffered enough for one day. She listened to the second one.

Jason’s head snapped up from looking at the ground when he heard the door open. Piper waved him over. She stepped to the side, allowing him in and handing him the towel. 

“I’ll get you some clothes,” she told him. He nodded following her into what looked to be her father’s room. She pulled out a pair of clothes then shut the door on her way out. A few minutes later, Jason came out, almost dry from the rain.

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

Piper ignored him by turning on the TV. Jason didn’t say anything, in fear that he might anger her. He was quiet for a few minutes, before he tried to word his question out loud without causing Piper to go nuts. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t work.

“You alright?” he asked. Piper glared at him, almost scaring him off again. Almost.

“Seriously, Piper. What’s wrong?”

She huffed in annoyance, muting the TV. “Do I really need to answer that?”

“Yes, because I clearly don’t know. If I did then I wouldn’t be asking.”

“Well then,” she stood up, taking her phone and book with her. “Why don’t you just go ask Reyna?”

Piper left the door, walking down the hall to her room. Jason didn’t follow, respecting her privacy. He sighed, sliding down further into his seat. He picked up the remote that Piper had left behind, flipping through chanels. As usual, nothing good was on.

The doorbell rang, causing Jason to look out the window. Before he could, he heard a door open down the hall, and a slightly calmer Piper come out. She opened the front door, revealing Thalia. Jason, who was standing behind Piper, sighed.

“Jason, get in the car,” Thalia told him.

“But--”

“Now,” she demanded. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

He sighed, sliding past the two girls and to the car. Once he had settled down on the back seat, the driver, Dakota, took off.

“Hey, what about--”

He raised a hand, cutting him off. “Thailia’s orders. Not mine.”

Jason gulped. He knew Piper would be okay. He was worried about himself and what his older sister would do later.

***

“Why’s the car leaving without you?” Piper asked as Thalia let herself in.

“Told him to,” she answered, closing the door, gently leading Piper away from the door. “We need to have a talk.”

They sat down in the living room. Thalia turned the television off and helped herself to a slice of pizza. After taking a few huge bites, she her mini interrogation.

“So, what’s going on between you and Jason?”

“Nothing,” Piper mumbled. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Then what did Hera tell you? And tell the truth, Piper. If you do then I can help.”

Piper stayed quiet for what felt like hours before she told Thalia. She told her everything the queen did, shaking a little at the end. Thalia listened to every word, not interpreting. When the younger girl had finished, she nodded, thinking deeply. Piper took the silence the wrong way though.

“What? Is it the truth?”

“Oh, gods no! Well, most of it’s the truth. Not the thing about Jason being like our dad,” Thalia chuckled before full out laughing. “Don’t worry. Jason’s never been with anyone before, so you don’t have to worry about him cheating.”

“Then what about Reyna?”

“They’re just really close friends. Brother and sister, if you think about it.”

Piper nodded, taking it all. She nearly laughed at herself for being so paranoid. Then it sank in and she paled. The way she had treated Jason was… was uncalled for, She could’ve handled it better if she had just kept her emotions under control.

“I need to go talk to him,” Piper stated. “I need to apologize, like, right now.”

Thaila place a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from getting up. 

“There’s no need to rush. Stop by the palace tomorrow before four and I can set something else.”

Piper nodded. From what she could remember, she had nothing going on and if she did, well screw them. They’re weren’t as important. 

“Kay. I’ll be there.”

Thalia sighed, relieved that all the serious tension was gone. She picked up the remote, relaxing a little. 

“Now,” she breathed. “Since we're done with that, do have Netflix on here? I wanna watch the Justice League.” 

Piper laughed, taking the remote and putting on the show that had been requested. For the next few hours, they sat there, relaxing and watching a whole season of the show. For Piper, it was just the thing she needed to clear her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End  
> Thanks for reading :)


	9. Chapter 8

Piper paced outside the palace. It was eleven in the morning, and she was now waiting for Thalia at the steps of her home. None of the guards or servants questioned why she was there, nor why she looked so worried. Finally, after ten minutes of waiting, Thalia came out jogging down the steps. Piper straightened up once she was in view.

“Ready?” Thalia asked, ready to jog back up the steps. Piper nodded, following her up the stairs. Along the way, she told Piper how most people deal with Hera in case. Luckily, they hadn’t on their way up to the meeting place.

Jason wasn’t there yet, so the two girls took a seat on the small sofa. Neither of them spoke as they waited. A heavy tension filled the room, filling their minds with worry. Finally, after what felt like ages, they heard jogging from down the hall. Both girls perked up at the noise, expecting to see the prince run in. Seconds later, Jason did just that.

“What’d you need me-- oh,” Jason stopped himself when his eyes fell on Piper. “Thalia, mind if-”

“Yeah, I’ll just… yeah,” Thalia mumbled, scratching the back of her neck. She quickly left the room, not looking at either of them on her way out.

Piper and Jason remained in the room, silent for a few awkward moments. Piper examined the carpet beneath her feet, trying to figure out her words. Jason was occupied looking at the ceiling, he too trying to think of the correct thing to say.

“Wanna go for a walk?” he asked, breaking the tension. Piper nodded, believing that it was a great idea.

“Lead the way.”

***

No progress was made on the way down to the gardens, and it was several minutes before Jason opened his mouth, only to close it again. He kept glancing over at Piper, fearing that she might run off at any given moment, but she was still walking along side him, focused on her surrounds. After a few turns, they reached a small, closed off area with a stone bench. Without speaking, they sat down.

“This is my favorite part of the gardens,” Jason told her. “No one’s ever here to bother me.”

“I suppose that’s always a good thing when you're a prince.”

Jason smiled a little. “I suppose so.”

Piper sighed, sounding a little tired. “I’m sorry about the way I acted. I just…” she stopped, sighing again.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me what Hera said. Just know… just know that whatever she said probably wasn’t true.”

“I know it’s not,” Piper mumbled. “Your sister explained everything to me. And I feel horrible for even thinking that what Hera said was true, but I--”

“Piper,” Jason said sharply, taking her hands in him. Piper looked up, meeting his eyes that she had been avoiding this whole time. “I forgive you. The way you reacted was just what Hera wanted.”

Piper’s eyes began to water and she apologized again. Jason frowned, seeing the tears form in her eyes. Without hesitating, he pulled her into a hug. Piper hugged back in desperate need of the comfort. The, without warning, she began to spill out everything Hera had told her, despite Jason’s attempt to her. Eventually, he gave up, knowing that she wouldn’t stop till it was all out. That was her way to coupling with the situation.

Jason pat her back, hushing her over and over. Finally Piper pulled away, wiping her red eyes. She let out a tiny laugh, relieving a little bit of her stress.

“I’ve been crying too much the past few days,” Piper noted.

“Then let’s go do something fun,” Jason suggested, standing up and holding out a hand with a bright smile.

“Like what?” Piper smirked, slowly taking his hand.

“Anything. A movie, lunch; you name it.”

She smiled, pondering her choice carefully. Then, she named off her request.

“A nice drive along the coast would be great.”

“Let’s go then.”

***

An hour later the two were in the car, far out of the city. The radio was on, playing horrible pop music like always, but it was turned onto a low volume. The windows were down, allowing the wind in and blowing Piper’s hair everywhere. Jason had one hand on the wheel and the other on the gearshift. They hadn’t exchanged any words since entering the vehicle, but they were content with the silence. It was peaceful and perfect.

“Sooo,” Jason started, stretching out the ‘o’, “why did you get so upset over it?”

Piper shook her head, pushing the hair out of her face again. “I…” she trailed off, wondering if she should just say it. In the end, she just did. It’s not like it would make anything worse. “I so see you as potential boyfriend material.”

“Is that so?” Jason grinned, looking over at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road. “Well, if it means anything, I also thing you have possible girlfriend material.”

Piper blushed deep red, looking out the open window. Jason took notice and decided that he liked flustered Piper. He reached over and held her hand, causing Piper’s blush to become even worse.

“Stahp,” she whined jokingly, laughing as she did so.

“And if I don’t?” Jason teased. He tested his limits by kissing the back of her hand. In returned, he earned a playful shove.

She had not pulled away though.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to put up with it.”

“Guess so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End  
> Thanks for reading :)


End file.
